Acting Natural
by Starbuck223
Summary: Finished! Scully brings Mulder to share the holidays with her, but they have an alterior motive involving revenge on her brother; Rating is for cursing which will probably occur in later chapters
1. The Sting of Humiliation

Acting Natural

Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully aren't mine. The X Files aren't mine. Bill's bitter hatred for Mulder isn't mine, but it sure as hell makes things more interesting. Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't mine. Pretty much all that _IS_ mine is this nutty little fic that I wrote a plot line to and stole...erm, borrowed Chris Carter's characters for. Its just more fun with his dynamic duo. :)

Special thanks to my beta buddy, Jen. I couldn't post without you...well, I could, but there'd be a lot of mistakes. ^-^

A/N: This is a really bizarre fic that I dreamed up (I think literally) one night in bed. I forget why but I was thinking about Mulder and Scully and holidays and of course, Bill being there to get pissy, and I put together the plot line of this fic. I needed provocation for Scully's plan, so that's where this first chapter came from. Consider it A/U if you don't think that Scully would react so drastically to this situation, but I could see her doing it in her more relaxed/emotional moments. It 'tis a good plan...and a righteous one. I hope you enjoy reading about it. As always, I believe in stories posted in chapters, lots of reviews to satisfy my muse, and pleasant endings! Nothing I write ever takes place after the no Mulder Scully's pregnant thing. I like the good ol' days. Happy reading!

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Chapter 1

Dana Scully stood alone in her mother's kitchen. Her face was enflamed with rage, and she was sure that she'd turned red in the other room. She was enjoying a cooling down period after a run in with her brother, Bill.

The extended Scully family was in the dining room, eating a nice Thanksgiving dinner which took her mother the entire day to prepare. It was a huge occasion to have the whole family together in this manner. Not only were the Scully boys and their families present, but also seemingly forgotten aunts, uncles, and cousins, whom Dana hadn't seen since childhood. 

That was the precise reason that Mrs. Scully organized this immense family gathering that was taking place. She had some sort of epiphany when Bill and Tara had their second child that October. 

Mrs. Scully began worrying about their family ties and the fact that they so rarely saw one another. By the time little Elianna was a week old, Mrs. Scully was already making phone calls and planning the huge Thanksgiving Day get together.

Margaret spent days cleaning and cooking and Scully even came up early to help her mother with everything. She knew how much this dinner meant to her mom, and how much work had gone into it. Scully felt a wave of remorse -not the first one of the evening- about her retreat to the kitchen.

Mrs. Scully prepared a plethora of food. Among the side dishes were mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, beats, peas and carrots, and cranberry sauce. There were home made biscuits, bread, and deviled eggs. There were boat loads of delicious gravy and at the center of it all, a humongous stuffed turkey. The meal was fit for royalty, and her family had eagerly dug into it.

Everyone was in the dining room at the moment. The adults were squeezed around Mrs. Scully's beautifully set table, while the children and younger cousins sat at folding tables placed around the room.

Only a few minutes before Scully sat at that very table, enjoying a delicious meal and laughing with her family. Her aunts engaged her in conversation about what she'd been doing since college; her younger cousins shyly admired her beauty and sophistication, while the little ones ran around the tables, knocking over chairs and cups and getting scolded by their parents. 

Somehow the conversation in the room changed to current professions. In a short while every adult present had turned and focused their attention on Dana's job with the X Files. As Scully tried to explain her position at the FBI and make it sound credible, Bill launched into one of his spiels about the utter waste of his little sister's talent. Oh, not to mention the loss of Melissa, the joke of their cases, and her "spooky" partner who was clearly off his rocker. It only took him minutes to rally the whole room to sympathy for poor lost Dana, stuck in the basement and confined with a crazy man. Her aunts and uncles all wondered why she didn't do something about it. Couldn't she speak to the AD or go into the medical field? Anything but stick it out with a lunatic and be laughed at by all of DC. Bill wouldn't even let her answer their questions or defend herself, not that she was thinking clearly by that time anyway, and he kept feeding them full of bull.

Scully felt her face flush red and her blood come to an even boil. Embarrassed and completely enraged she muttered some excuse as she stood up from the table and fled to the refuge of the kitchen. She stood there now, staring at the cabinets and wondering what on earth she had just witnessed in her mother's dining room.

How could Bill have acted so unbelievably rude? He made a total mockery of her entire life while family and friends who hadn't seen her in over ten years sat and gawked, turning their pity upon her for no good reason. She hadn't even defended herself! Scully was afraid that if she'd opened her mouth she would have ruined her mother's dinner entirely, and it wasn't fair to have others' Thanksgivings ruined just because Bill was a horses ass. 

Scully went over to the sink, staring at the piles upon piles of dishes and pots and pans that her mother accumulated throughout the day's preparations. She turned on the faucet and stopped up the drain. Opening the cabinet she found and added soap, needing something to do to keep from returning to the dining room and ripping Bill's throat out.

As Scully scrubbed the grease out of pans, she continued to wonder at the events of the evening. She realized that what hurt her the most; more than Bill's insensitivity, more than the sting of embarrassment, and more than having everyone laugh at her profession...he had made a mockery of Mulder. Bill completely insulted her partner and tore him apart verbally in front of her entire family. The only one in the room who knew Mulder and could have defended him was Mrs. Scully, but she'd sat quietly, twirling her fork through her potatoes and allowing Bill's tirade to continue. Scully too had been speechless, but inside she felt her heart break. Mulder wasn't perfect; he got on her nerves, and there were times when she wondered why she followed him into as much as she did, but she knew in the end that it was because they had an unspoken love and respect for one another that went deeper than anything she'd ever experienced. They'd had experiences together that no one on earth shared. They spent weeks on end together but always enjoyed one another's company. They were partners to the end; willing to give their lives for one another and knowing that the other would do the same in a heartbeat. 

And Bill felt it necessary to verbally assault the man that Scully considered part of her family over Thanksgiving dinner.

Scully realized that she was scrubbing the same part of the pot and that the finish was beginning to come off due to her wire brush. Rinsing the pot, she put it in the drain board and dried her hands. 

When her relatives stuffed themselves to capacity, cousins entered the kitchen with dishes; clearing the table for desert. They glanced curiously at their red headed cousin, scrubbing dishes and not acknowledging their presences. They felt sorry for her, but for all the wrong reasons. Had they wanted to pity her, they should have been sorry that she had such an awful brother. They should have pitied her for having to endure Bill's speech and stomaching it, but instead they were sorry that she worked with an incredible partner on valid cases. They didn't know that. They didn't know Mulder or the X Files; only what Bill had told them, and they believed him. 

Trust no one; certainly not Bill. Don't trust his word on my life; on my friends and on my family. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't know what he's said or what he's done to me, Scully thought, washing and washing.

Eventually her mother drifted into the room, grabbing goodies from the refrigerator and saying coolly, "Desert is being served, Dana."

Scully didn't bother to look up or give her mother any relief that she was okay. She wanted her to know that she was hurt; that Bill's behavior was not acceptable, nor hers. Margaret knew that she should have put a stop to her son's narrative on Dana's life, but she could not bring herself to snap a simple "enough" to him. 

Mrs. Scully left the kitchen, and Scully left the dishes only when the sink had been emptied. Not bothering to say goodbye to her family she grabbed her coat and headed for the door. 

Charlie came into the room just as she was about to go.

"Dana..." He began, getting her attention. She merely looked at him. "Dane, don't let Bill get you down. I know he said a lot of horrible things, but you know what? I knew he was blowing smoke, and I'll bet everyone else did too."

Scully softened, as she always did for her little brother. All of her fury pushed itself away and enabled her to answer quietly, "He had no right...Charlie, he had no right to say what he did."

"I know he didn't. I'm sorry that he ruined your night. I'm not trying to stop you from going, I mean, if you need to, do it. I just wanted to say goodbye, since I won't see you until Christmas."

Scully smiled, on the verge of tears, and hugged and kissed her little brother. 

"I'm sure Mulder is a great guy, even though I've never met him. Maybe you could bring him up for the holidays. We'd all have a common hatred for Bill...."

Scully laughed, pulling away from Charlie. "Thanks. I'll try and get you to meet Mulder soon."

She turned and opened the door, but looked back once more at her brother. "I love you, Charlie," she said exiting the house.

"I love you too, Dane," he said, sorry to see his sister in so much pain. Dana had always been his favorite. When they weren't fighting with one another they were allying themselves with Melissa and going against Bill, who had oldest child syndrome. Charlie shut the inside door and headed back to the dining room.

On the road Scully sorted through her thoughts and feelings. She determined that she would bring Mulder for Christmas, if he was willing, and would get her revenge upon Bill. With everything settled, she opened her apartment and checked her machine, which contained one message.

"Hi pumpkin pie! This is your nutty partner Melvin von Mulder, wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving. I know you're out with your family and everything, but I just wanted to give you my best...oh, and give Bill my worst. Haha. Hope you had a great night, and I'll talk to you tomorrow, unless you wanna hit the stores...in which case you'll be turn up in the morgue, a victim of mass riot over the last singing flower pot in Kay-bee. Nighty night, partner." 

Scully smiled at the message, loving Mulder for his trouble. It was as if he knew somehow that she would need the sound of his voice and his dry sarcasm the moment she got home from her mom's. So much for her uncaring partner. 

Scully drifted to sleep that night thinking of Mulder and hoping that he'd agree with her plans.

This is just the beginning...please leave me a nice review!!! It makes me post faster and feeds my hungry muse. ;) 


	2. Scully, you can't be serious

Chapter 2

I got such lovely reviews that I decided I'd best post more for my hungry readers. I love to keep others in suspense, but hate when I'm in suspense...so, I'm still going to post in chapters, but I'll try to post every day or two. You're in for a fun ride with this one, so continue to enjoy. I love your reviews! Thank you so much!!

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"Scully, you've got to be kidding me."

Mulder had reacted the same way when she'd asked him to spend Christmas with her, but he'd already agreed to that. This was his reaction to her revenge plan. 

Scully blinked at her partner, tilted her head, and realized for the millionth time how bizarre it really sounded. 

"Scully, do you know how weird that is? Its very un-you." Mulder quipped. "Dana Scully gets REVENGE." 

Scully smiled, liking that the idea was out of character. Frankly she was sick of being herself to a T. At least this time she wasn't going to have a one night stand and get a tattoo because of it...just going to wreak some havoc upon her oldest brother.

"Mulder..." she got exasperated. "Look, I'm pretty bad at revenge plots. Usually Melissa would think them up and then Charlie and I would help carry them out, but I know that this will really piss Bill off and I just want to make him angry."

"He really hurt you, didn't he?" Mulder asked, looking concerned.

Scully sighed. "He was being a jerk, and he needs to be taught a lesson. So will you help me?"

Mulder caved. "What do you need me to do?"

Scully smiled. "This is the part you'll enjoy. I want us to be a couple when we go to my mom's for the holidays."

Mulder's eyes widened at the prospect, then he laughed. "Yup...that'd put your brother over the edge, considering how much he hates me. Although that seems a little strange for 'revenge.' What exactly did he do to you?"

Scully sighed again before admitting half of the story. "He made a mockery of me in front of a lot of people."

"Uh-huh..." Mulder said, giving her a glance that said he clearly knew there was more.

Scully shut her eyes, not wanting him to probe any deeper.

"C'mon, Scully. I know you better than that. There has to be something more to it. Tell me what happened."

She launched into the fully story, of how Bill had started reaming out the X Files and what not in front of her family.

Mulder was still not convinced, however. "On behalf of the X Files and you, ouch. That was pretty low, but I feel like there's something more. I'm an FBI agent...I was trained to read people, and you're not telling me what really set you off and why you need me to pretend to be your big hunk o' man..."

"Look, Mulder...he doesn't like you, and you know that. I know that you don't care about it, but it bothers me sometimes, to see two people I...." She paused. "It hurts that two people who I love so much could hate each other so much."

Mulder was touched. "Is that what this is about? He said something about me, so you want to get him back by forcing him to spend time with me and accept me as a potential brother-in-law?"

Scully raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't go that far...but, I don't know what I want. I want to make him mad, but yeah...if he could make his peace with you that would be great."

Mulder still wasn't satisfied. "So what'd he say? Did he insult me in front of all your aunts and uncles? Who, by the way, don't know me and never will?"

"Would I be this mad over anything less?" Scully returned. "And why wouldn't they ever get to know you? Some of them might."

"Well, I guess so...with the wedding and all," Mulder teased.

Scully smiled and put her head in her hands, rubbing her forehead, which was aching. 

"Right," was her only reply.

She felt Mulder's hand land gently on her left shoulder. He ran it lightly over her aching muscles and down her back.

"Don't worry about a thing, Scully. I'll come with you for Christmas, and show up as your stud muffin. We'll make the best couple since Rob and Laura Petrie." He grinned.

Hearing those names she sat up and looked at him. "At least we've had practice," she laughed.

"You look really tired. How about we skip out early and get something to eat?" Mulder asked her.

"Sounds like a good plan...until we get caught."

"We won't get caught. We're the FBI's most unwanted, remember? No one will check for us down here during the last forty-five minutes of the day."

"Point taken," Scully answered, as she stood up and got her coat.

She glanced around their dark little office. Even with the lights on it was dark. Files covered every square inch of the room; packed in the cabinets and piled on chairs. There was barely room for the two of them. She remembered how much she'd hated this office when she first walked into it. It was, and still is, the epitome of disorganization. Over the last five years it had become such a home to her though. 

Mulder flipped the light off and pulled the door shut.

"We'll just hope that they think we're working hard," he said.

"Or hardly working," grinned his partner, as they made their escape.

The two drove together to a little Italian restaurant, and they were seated immediately, since it was still early for dinner.

Scully looked over the menu and found that all she really wanted was a salad, while Mulder went for the lasagna. 

"Are you sure you don't want something more, dear?" He asked as the waiter stood by their table jotting down their orders. "We'll be busy later tonight and you might not get a chance to eat again until we get home to our cozy little bed."

Scully eyed him, wondering what on earth he meant. As soon as the waitress had gone, she turned on Mulder. "What the hell was that?"

Mulder sipped his water calmly. "Practice." 

Scully smiled, amused that he was taking this so seriously. Or was he? There was always the chance that Mulder was just mocking her altogether. She'd been afraid that he'd have too much fun with her idea...It was interesting though; he seemed to have no trouble falling into the role of boyfriend, or fiance, or whatever it was he pretended they were. 

"I'm not used to endearing terms such as 'honey' and 'darling,' since I haven't dated in...." Mulder trailed off. "Let's just leave that at 'awhile.' I want to get this just right and be able to piss Bill off to maximum capacity. Besides, I think it worked. That waitress definitely didn't know that I was only _posing_ as your significant other." He winked.

Scully smiled as she thought of her older brother in a fit of rage over their 'relationship.' She still wasn't sure exactly how this vacation was going to go, but she knew that it'd make Bill mad. Just having Mulder there in general would be enough to set him off, but she was going for maximum rage, just as Mulder was. 

Scully briefly entertained the thought of her and Mulder snuggled up on a couch together and Bill storming in. Or them under the mistletoe... 

She stopped herself. What was she thinking? She turned her attention back to her partner, who was chatting about his favorite Christmas movies. 

The two partners talked through dinner about work and the holidays, and Mulder occasionally kidded about their plans for later, and would she be coming home with him? 

The waitress left the check on the table and Scully reached for it.

"No no, no, sweetie, its on me. What kind of a guy would I be to make you pay for our date?" Mulder asked, smiling at his partner.

"I'm sorry, dear, I forgot that you don't believe in letting me pay," Scully answered, giving in to his little game. At least she was getting a free dinner out of it. Hah.

Mulder slipped his arm around the back of her waist as they exited the restaurant, and he opened the passenger side door for her.

Scully got in laughing. "So is this gonna be an all the time thing now? Because I've got to tell you, Mulder, we'll eat out more often."

Mulder smiled and headed back to FBI Headquarters. 

They said their goodbyes in the parking lot.

"Thank you for dinner," Scully said, as she got out of the car.

"It was my pleasure," answered Mulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, honey bunches, when we leave for your mom's. Tell her we'll only need one bedroom." 

Scully rolled her eyes. "No way would I tell her that...although knowing my mother, she'd be ecstatic rather than angry..." she trailed off, thinking that it wouldn't be the first time they'd shared a room, although they'd never shared a bed. 

Mulder looked at her, amused by the idea of her mother's approval. "She looking for a new son-in-law? I guess having Bill for a kid really _is_ that bad..."

Scully laughed. "Trust me, it is. She gets just as sick of him as the rest of us." She sighed, then shivered in the cold. "Good night, Mulder. I'll pick you up tomorrow around eight, okay?"

"Good night, cupcake," he replied, pulling the door shut.

Scully smiled to herself as she started her car. Mulder drove off, and she watched his tail lights disappear. This holiday was going to be extremely interesting...

You know what to do...review review review! :)


	3. Ho Ho Ho and Mistletoe

Chapter 3

Its me again! I know you're thinking "wow, its about time" but I've been so swamped. I cursed off _Heart of Darkness _and decided to finish this chapter. I was going to post one huge chapter, but its more fun in pieces and this way you won't have to wait months for it. Little doses to help with the withdrawal, but this is only the rising action. Just wait until it gets good! Thanks always to my beta, Jen, and to all of you devoted readers and leavers of feedback. It makes me feel like a million bucks. 

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Mulder and Scully arrived at Mrs. Scully's house together, early on Christmas Eve Day. They'd driven together listening to Christmas carols and chatting idly, but not really mentioning their plan.

Mulder got out of the car, stretched his legs, and opened the back door. He pulled out all of the bags they'd brought and attempted to carry them.

"You can't handle all of the luggage on your own, let me help," Scully offered.

Mulder smiled back at her as he slung a duffel bag over his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, love. You can get the huge bags of presents you brought."

Scully smiled, realizing that the game was now afoot. She grabbed her bags of gifts. There were a lot of them. She had presents for her brothers and their wives, her mother, and all of her nieces and nephews. There was also a little something for Mulder.

"Already in character?" She asked, as she shut the car door.

"Why do you say that? I can't call you 'love' under any other circumstances?" Mulder jested. "Besides...this has to go off perfectly. I really want to piss off Bill. That's what Christmas means to _me_."

"Your holiday spirit amazes me," Scully dead panned. 

"Actually, its more than just pissing off someone who I dislike so intently. This should be pretty fun. I mean, after all, its the holidays...you...me..." he trailed off dryly. "and a Christmas tree..." He nudged her with his shoulder, since all of his hands were full. "Think about it, Scully."

Scully giggled and headed off for her mom's front door.

Mrs. Scully's house was the perfect picture of Christmas cheer. She had lights that were hung, compliments of Bill, and a wreath on the door. There were candy cane ornaments in the ground and a candle in each window.

Bill and his family had arrived the day before to give Maggie extra time with her newest granddaughter, and to help her out with all of the Christmas work. Charlie and his wouldn't be coming until after lunch that day.

"Ah...home for the holidays," Mulder said, taking in the festiveness. 

"You ready?" Scully asked, pausing on the stoop.

"Oh, bring it on, baby!" Mulder shot back. 

They answered on the first knock, Mrs. Scully practically yanking her daughter inside. She quickly got Dana's bags out of her hands, hugging and kissing her daughter.

"Dana, I missed you. I don't think I've seen or talked to you since Thanksgiving..." She trailed off and turned her attention to Mulder, who had stood off to the side and hadn't actually entered the house.

"And Fox! I didn't know you were coming. It's such a pleasant surprise to see you. Come in!" 

Mrs. Scully gave him the same treatment, stripping him of his luggage and hugging him as if he were her own son. 

"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Scully," Mulder replied, embracing Scully's mom.

When she was done, Margaret excused herself. "I have to run upstairs and get Bill and Tara...and the kids will be so happy to see you, Dana. They're up there trying to take care of the baby and dress and manage Matthew."

With that Maggie disappeared upstairs and the partners were left alone for a few minutes.

"Shall we start the honeymoon now?" Mulder asked seriously.

Scully laughed, probably out of sheer nervousness and silliness. This was definitely the most bizarre thing she'd ever done. Here was her partner, in her home with her family, pretending to be her significant other, only no one even knew it yet. She felt bad, considering that her mother would probably be overjoyed at such a revelation.

"I guess we just play it by ear and act a little 'friendlier' to one another than usual," Scully managed. "Although I have no idea how we're going to start this, or how we'll explain it later."

"But isn't love all about ignoring consequences and just going for what the heart wants?" Mulder asked. "And the heart wants revenge on big brother Bill."

As he said this, the two heard footsteps on the stairs, and realized that their private conversation would have to end. 

"Aunt Dane!" Came a tiny voice belonging to three-year-old Mattie. His mother followed with the baby, knowing that her sister-in-law would want to see her. Bill was behind her, bringing up the rear. 

Matt hugged his aunt and looked at the unfamiliar face in the room.

"Who's dat, Aunt Dane?" He asked her.

Scully picked her little nephew up so he could see Mulder. "This is Aunt Dana's very special friend..." She trailed off wondering whether it should be Fox or Mulder.

Mulder seemed to see where she was going with it and jumped in to help. "I think Fox is easier...Can you remember the name Fox?" He asked the child.

As Mulder spoke Scully saw that he'd been noticed by her brother's radar. Bill stood on the bottom step, staring at the scene unfolding in the living room. His son was being introduced to the one man he hated more than anything.

"Fox," Matt repeated, liking the name. 

Tara entered the room with the baby, and kissed her sister-in-law on the cheek.

"How are you, Dana?" She asked, handing over the formers' niece. Scully put down Mattie and took the baby.

"I'm good. Happy holidays, Tar!" 

Bill remained in the corner of the room until coaxed in by his mother and wife.

"Aren't you going to say hi to your sister?" Tara asked him, knowing full well what was wrong with him.

Bill reluctantly came in and hugged Scully, but the hug was cold and emotionless. It put into words what he left unsaid. The question of why she had brought Mulder into their home, where he clearly wasn't welcome. There also lurked residual anger and hurt on both sides from what had transpired at Thanksgiving. Bill realized that she was mad that night at dinner, but Scully had obviously not forgiven him yet. 

Mrs. Scully addressed her eldest son. "Bill, why don't you help Mulder with all of the bags that he and Dana brought?"

Bill shot his mother a Look but did as she suggested. Mulder and Scully slid out of his way, Mulder figuring that he would follow Bill up to whatever room they should be in.

Mrs. Scully giggled, suddenly.

"What?" Scully asked, confused. The others in the room looked just as uninformed as Scully.

Mrs. Scully smiled in an amused, motherly way, and confessed to her daughter, "Its just that...you two are standing directly under the mistletoe." 

Scully's cheeks flushed a little, and she looked down, embarrassed at the thought. Mulder, however, gave her an interested look. It was the perfect opportunity for them to make their 'affections' known to the room.

"You can't be serious, mom," Bill grumbled, pausing at the stairs, afraid of what would happen if he left.

"Its just tradition, Bill," Mrs. Scully stated, "and I was merely pointing it out to them. You don't have to kiss if you don't want to..." 

Mulder caught his partner's eye, and gave her a look that explained what he was about to do. 

"And disappoint all of you? Who am I to argue with tradition?" He asked the room rhetorically. 

Mulder bent down and kissed Scully on the lips. The kiss was soft and warm, and Scully felt herself melt under its power. It was more than a peck, but not enough to leave her satisfied. She thought she would die when he pulled away from her. He'd given her a little taste that made her want more all of a sudden.

Mrs. Scully smiled with delight at the scene, mentally going over all the possibilities between the two. Tara looked on with appreciation for what she saw as a respectful love, while Bill made a noise of disgust and turned to head upstairs. He stopped at the sound of his mother's voice.

"Well, that leads into my next question. I was going to ask if you two would mind sharing a room..."

Bill's eyes almost popped out of their sockets with rage at the thought of it!

"What are you talking about, Mom?! It was one stupid kiss, its not like they're married. Why the hell should they share a room?" He exploded.

"Bill, I have you and Tara in my room, I'm in what was the kids room, I'm putting Charlie in the den...I only have the spare room left," Mrs. Scully explained.

"Could you and Dana share a room? That would make more sense," Bill argued.

Mrs. Scully pursed her lips and said patiently, "Fine. I'll let Dana and Fox decide. I would just figure that they're used to being together and would want to be so on Christmas, but its their call."

Scully looked at Mulder, knowing what he would say. It fit well with their plan, and would definitely antagonize Bill to no end. She decided to speak up before Mulder felt it necessary to do so.

"I think that Mulder I will be just fine sharing a room," Scully announced to her family. She laced her arm through Mulder's and pulled herself a little closer to him to get her point across. 

Bill turned and stormed up the stairs in disgust, and they followed suit, arm in arm. 

Hope you enjoyed this...there's a lot of fun MSR coming up in the next chapter, and a majorly fun scene in the chapter after, so stick for when the show gets really good! Reviews always help the muse to work faster, and they break the depressing monotony of my everyday life...Only five more days to go!


	4. Baking up some Christmas Cheer

Chapter 4

A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! My goal was to be done this fic by Christmas ^-^;; Oops. I had a lot to do this past week and my evile sister kept monopolizing our computer. I hope that you survived the wait and enjoy this Christmas chapter. Don't mind any typos and what not...my lovely beta Jen is away with her family and I posted rather hastily this Christmas morn'. I'm going to try my hardest to post another in the next 12-24 hours. Your reviews mean the world to me. Thanks so much for reading my fic! Enjoy! 

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Mulder and Scully settled their things in the room that they were to share. 

Plopping his bag on the floor, Mulder looked around. The room was cheery and decorated for Christmas like the rest of the house. There were two dressers, a double bed with dark wooden posts, and a cozy looking chair.

"That's a nice big bed for us to sleep in," Mulder said, sitting down on the comforter and patting it with his hand. 

Scully rolled her eyes at him as she unpacked her belongings and put them neatly away in the dresser. "I didn't even think about that when I said we'd share. I guess all I really considered was that it would make Bill mad as a hornet."

"Well, don't worry about it, darling. I'm sure we'll be as snug as two bugs in a rug," Mulder said, throwing her a huge smile. "But to make you feel better, Bill was pissed. I don't recommend you leaving the two of us alone in a room together at any point...even my gun won't save me."

Scully laughed. "Why would I leave you two alone together? Talk about ruining Christmas...to find both of you dead with your arms locked around the others' neck." 

"What makes you think we'd both die? You don't think I could best him in a brawl?" Mulder pouted. "But I'm your big strong man-thing..." 

Scully was about to respond but stopped, hearing her mother's voice from the bottom of the steps. 

"Dana...Fox! Charlie and his family are early! Come down and see them!" Maggie shouted, excited by the fact that all of her children were again under the same roof.

Mulder eyed his partner.

"Don't worry, Mulder. Charlie always helped me in our childhood battles against Bill, and he was the only one who was concerned for me at Thanksgiving. I'm sure he'll love you."

They made their way downstairs and Scully was attacked by her nieces and nephew. Danielle, six, ran to her little-seen aunt immediately, followed by four-year-old Patrick. Charlie's wife, Laura, held their two-year-old, Marissa, at bay. 

"Dana! How are you?" Charlie asked, hugging his sister after his kids were through with her. They were still bouncing around and asking questions about Santa and presents, while Mrs. Scully tried to calm them down. 

"I'm good, Charlie. Let me introduce you though...this is my partner, Mulder," she gestured at Mulder, who was standing where he thought he'd be out of the way.

Charlie stuck out his hand, and Mulder shook it. "Please to meet you, Mulder. Dana's told me so much about you. Its great to finally put a face to the name."

Mulder smiled. "Nice to meet you too."

With the greetings out of the way, the kids still wound up, and Charlie and Laura needing to unpack, Mrs. Scully spoke up.

"Why don't we all make cookies!" She asked the group.

The kids cheered and she took the baby. Mulder and Scully followed into the kitchen, hoping to help with the kids and the cookies. 

Mrs. Scully had all of the ingredients out and the oven preheating in no time. She rolled out the dough and began cutting Christmas trees, bells, reindeer, and stars. 

She gave a tray to Danielle, one to Patrick, and one for Mulder and Scully. 

"Dana, can you make the egg paint up while I do a tray for Bill and Mattie?" Mrs. Scully asked her baking-illiterate daughter.

"Sure..." Scully replied, wondering how much she could mess up eggs, water, and food coloring. 

Mulder watched as she made red, green, and yellow, then grabbed paint brushes, jimmies, colored sugar, and little balls and set to work. 

Mrs. Scully put the radio on and let the Christmas tunes fill the kitchen. She tried to help Patrick, who was making a mess of his cookies. Danielle was fairing much better, blobbing paint over every inch of dough on her pan.

Scully was more artistic about it. Though she didn't have the knack for drawing or even sewing, she was a pro at egg paint. It had been her favorite thing to do since she was a child. 

Mulder watched as she carefully outlined her reindeer, then filled them in with sugar. She painted each bell and tree with an expert hand.

"You want to do some, Mulder?" She asked when she was halfway through the pan.

"I wouldn't want to stifle your creativity, dear," he smiled, content just to watch her.

Neither of them noticed Mrs. Scully's head perk up at the word 'dear.' The meaning of it wasn't lost on her.

Bill came into the kitchen with Mattie, and they set to work on a tray. It was pointless to let the three-year-old make a mess with the paint and dough, but Mrs. Scully didn't want any of her grandchildren to be slighted. 

Bill constantly glanced over at Mulder and Scully, who were still working on their tray of cookies together. Mulder had edged closer to her, looking over her shoulder and nearly touching her. 

Mulder was getting closer to her, whether he noticed or did it unconsciously. He could feel the warmth of her body, and her fuzzy red sweater that she had on was extremely soft to the touch. Everything about her, he thought, was soft and gentle. He loved the whole scene around him from the kids playing to Scully's hair falling in her face every two seconds. Hell, he didn't even mind that Bill kept shooting him looks of death. 

Before Mulder could stop it, he nuzzled his head gently against Scully's cheek. He could tell himself that he did it for show, but he knew that it felt incredibly good. 

Their cheeks brushed, and Scully smiled, surprised, but open to the good feeling it gave her. She stood all the way up and stopped painting to enjoy the moment. 

Mulder kissed her gently on the cheek as his lips passed, whispered, "Merry Christmas."

Bill started at the sight of it, but remained seated, since he had his son in his lap. It was clear that he wasn't happy with what he'd just seen, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. He was beginning to fear that there was more to the two of them than just the partner thing. 

Mrs. Scully was also beginning to suspect something, but her reaction was the polar opposite of Bill's. She watched her daughter with a content motherly look in her eye. She hoped that Dana had finally found someone worthy of her heart, and knew that if anyone, it should and would be Mulder. Her Christmas wish was for the two of them to be happy together. 

Mulder recovered from his moment of closeness with Scully, and brushed his hands in the flour that was covering the table. Without a moment's hesitation he touched his finger tip to his partner's nose, leaving it covered in white flour.

Scully gaped, surprised that he would attack her like that. The only answer, of course, was to get him back. In five minutes both of them were smeared with flour, head to toe, while Scully's nieces and nephews looked on in awe, Mrs. Scully in amusement, and Bill...well, pissed as always.

The two partners laughed, enjoying their lapse into childish behavior. 

Mrs. Scully collected their pan of cookies and put them in the oven to bake.

"So what now?" Scully asked, brushing flour off of her black pants.

Mulder paused for a minute, then grabbed her hand. "Now, we dance!" He said, laughing as he spun her around the kitchen floor.

The radio had changed to "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," and the two of them danced, out of step with one another, as they sang along in varying pitches.

"There'll be much mistletoe-ing," Mulder sang.

"And hearts will be glowing," Scully sang back to him. 

"When loved ones are near," Mulder replied, pulling her in closer to him. He held her there for a minute and whispered in her ear, "You're my only loved one I've got left, Scully." Then he spun her in the opposite direction, so that she wound up away from him again. 

Bill picked up Mattie and left the kitchen at this point, sick of watching the two of them dancing and singing and having a good time. He was furious that she'd brought this guy into their home to invade their Christmas. This wasn't his family or his holiday. He wasn't a Scully, and he didn't belong.

Mulder finished up his dance with Scully just as the song ended, and the two realized that Mrs. Scully had watched the entire thing with a smirk on her face. 

Mulder felt a slight blush -odd for him- and the need to get out of the kitchen immediately. "I think I'll go try and get some of this flour out of my clothes." He said, excusing himself.

Neither Mrs. Scully or Dana thought of the fact that Bill was already upstairs in the bathroom...

Mulder opened the door and almost jumped at the sight of his nemesis, stooping in front of the toilet where his messy three-year-old was perched.

Bill turned at the noise and made a face of disgust after seeing who was there.

"You have some nerve-" he began.

"Sorry, I was looking for the men's room...must have wound up at the 'little boys' room by mistake," Mulder shot back dryly.

"You son of a-" He stopped, realizing that Mattie was hanging on his every word. "Who the hell do you think you are? You come in here and stick your nose in where it doesn't belong and then talk to me like that?! Who are you to come here and fill my sister's head with nonsense about love? You're a loner by nature, just using her to get your kicks for the holidays. You make me sick."

Mulder was offended by that assault. He knew Bill didn't like him, that was a given. But to say that he felt nothing for Scully? 

"I think you're the one with nerve, Bill. You don't know anything about me, or your sister for that matter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bill shouted angrily.

"It means that what the two of us have together, you couldn't even fathom. Its so deep and so intense that you wouldn't even begin to comprehend our love for one another."

With that Mulder turned and went back downstairs, leaving Bill to stew. He was a little surprised at himself. He never dreamed that he would say what he did. While he told himself he was just reacting as Scully's mock-boyfriend, he was beginning to realize that all of the little playful motions...all the endearing terms...he meant each one of them with all his heart. 

Hope you like it! My Christmas present to all of my loyal readers. Its getting good and mushy...and the friction with Bill...good times. :) I watched my "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" episode last night. Christmas and X Files...best combination ever. Hehe. How about a nice review to brighten my day?


	5. Popcorn, Movies, and Angels

Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks for bearing with me...this week did not go as planned and my idea of getting the story done kind of went kaput. I forced myself to get this chapter up after getting death threat-like reviews...sorry I made you wait! 

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When Mulder returned to the kitchen Scully noticed that he hadn't cleaned himself up. Someone must've been in the --- oh no. She realized what must have just happened and how bad it was. She'd have to ask later, right now her mom was frantically cleaning up so she could start dinner.

"Dana, would you and Mulder maybe take the kids in and put a movie on for them? There's a big can of popcorn, if you want to make strings of it for the tree. We're decorating after dinner."

Mulder looked at Scully and smiled. Her mom was queen of her home and perfect at managing it whether there were two extra people or eleven. Mulder caught little Patrick by the hand and Danielle willingly took the other one. Scully scooped the baby out of her high chair and grabbed the popcorn with her free arm. Together with the kids they headed to the family room. 

Scully found a copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas sitting on top of the TV. She sighed. Her mother thought of everything ahead of time. It was amazing.

With the kids settled in, Scully threaded plastic needles for them to make popcorn strings. She and Mulder started two of their own, and the baby fell asleep in her lap, watching as the green Grinch ruined Christmas for the Whos. 

"This feels cozy, wouldn't you say, love?" Mulder teased, tossing a piece of popcorn into his mouth. 

Scully smiled. "I think you can drop the act since everyone else is upstairs. I wonder what happened to Charlie and Laura...must be taking a nap or something. I'll be the drive wore them out."

Mulder scooted over next to her. "Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?"

Scully didn't fend him off this time. "Actually, I am pretty beat. I guess a day of driving, baking, and stringing is worse than one chasing mutants and enduring your driving skills..."

"Hey!" Mulder shouted, pushing her with his shoulder.

"Mulder! Don't do that, you'll wake up Marissa."

Mulder looked down at the sleeping two-year-old in Scully's lap. She was a perfect little angel with smooth baby skin and delicate little eyelashes. She was wearing a lavender jumper with a little white shirt, her fist almost in her mouth as she slept. You could tell she was a Scully simply by looking at her, and if he didn't know any better, he would take her to be his partner's child. She had the same soft reddish hair as all of Charlie's kids, but more importantly like Scully's. She was beautiful, fair skinned and her eyes were just like his partner's. Mulder's mind sifted through all of the knowledge that Scully would never have a baby like this one, but at the same time he went through the possibilities of what a child that belonged to both of them might be like...

"Mulder?" Scully asked for a second time.

"Sorry...I guess we do need that nap."

"Yeah..." She mused, though it wasn't the topic she'd wanted to cover. "Listen, what happened upstairs? I realized after you came back that I'd sent you into the lion's den."

Mulder looked puzzled for a minute, having completely forgotten the events of earlier. He laughed. "Oh yeah...it really wasn't that bad. I opened the door and found Bill on his knees in front of Mattie. He started mouthing off, but couldn't say much since he was in front of his little kid, and then I left."

Scully breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as you're both alive..." 

Mulder looked at her with sudden surprise. "I didn't tell you? That's why he hasn't been downstairs in the last two hours."

Scully laughed and looked down at Marissa. She'd been thinking all the same things as Mulder...She wanted one of her own, and if she could...she knew that he'd be the only person she'd dream of conceiving with.

"Aunt Dana, where's Mommy?" Danielle asked, interrupting their quiet moment.

"She's still upstairs. I think she and daddy are taking naps just like Marissa here," Scully replied.

"Okay...when's dinner?" Danielle asked. She was at that age where every question answered was another one asked.

Mrs. Scully, who was just coming into the room answered her.

"In twenty more minutes, Danielle. Now, let me see how those popcorn chains are coming!" She exclaimed, catching the attention of her two grandchildren.

"Look at mine, Grandmom!" Danielle shouted holding it up for her to examine. "Isn't it the best one you've ever seen? Mine is the longest!"

Mrs. Scully laughed and examined both Danielle and Patrick's chains, proclaiming them both to be the best she'd ever seen. She looked over and saw Marissa asleep and smiled at her daughter. 

"I guess you haven't moved in awhile thanks to her," Mrs. Scully said, motioning to Marissa. "Let me take her upstairs and put her to bed in her bassinet."

Mrs. Scully gently picked up the baby without disturbing a hair on her head. "And why don't the two of you come with me? We can wake your parents up, clean you guys up for dinner, and find your little cousin Mattie and his baby sister."

"I'm gonna find Matt right now! I know where he'll be...in Uncle Bill's room! And Aunt Dana said that Mommy was asleep with Daddy. Did you know that they still take naps, Grandma? Even I don't take naps!" Danielle chatted away while they headed upstairs, and Patrick followed quietly, as usual.

"They're a pair," Mulder observed as they disappeared.

"Yeah," Scully said, moving her legs stiffly. Both of them had fallen asleep. "Danielle is so talkative and Patrick is so quiet. I don't know where she gets it from either. Charlie and Laura are both pretty reserved."

"Its that damned new-fangled MTV," Mulder said in an old-man-tone of voice. He threw his arm around Scully and pulled her in toward his body. "Not like when we were young. We knew how to act!"

Scully instinctively pulled away from him, but didn't get far. His grip was tighter than she'd suspected. Instead she answered, "You can feel however you want about yourself, but I still like to think of myself as 'young.'" 

"Oh, you are, beautiful," Mulder said, tickling her a little. 

Scully was laughing and squirming around in Mulder's arms when Bill came down the stairs. They both stopped dead and looked up at him, then shifted uncomfortably away from one another. 

Bill went into the kitchen without a word.

Mulder looked at Scully. "Hm, that was normal."

Scully sighed and stood up. "Well, what did you expect? He's not my mom. He's not going to smile and say 'aw, how cute.' I mean, he really doesn't like you, and he doesn't like that I do....I mean, well, you know what I mean."

Did he know what she meant? Was she talking seriously to him, referring to real life, or was it part of her act? He couldn't tell anymore, and that bothered him. It was almost as it, the two had merged into one.

Mrs. Scully came down the stairs followed by the two sleepy mothers, kids in tow. Tara had Elianna in a carrier, and was leading Mattie by the hand, letting him take his time on the steps. Marissa was still asleep, and Charlie had said he'd be down in a minute.

The entire family assembled in the dining room and all of them sat down after settling the food and the kids. 

"This is amazing, Mom, you really outdid yourself!" Charlie said, joining the gang. 

The food was delicious, and after Mrs. Scully and the girls had cleared the table, they brought out a cake for desert. Tara didn't want any, since she claimed to be working off her new baby pounds. She was still as skinny as Scully had ever seen her, and she cradled her newborn in her arms, feeding her.

"I want the first piece!" Danielle cried excited.

"Danielle, don't be rude," Laura scolded. "Everyone wants cake just as much as you do."

Mrs. Scully was more than happy to dish out generous pieces of the chocolate iced cake. Soon everyone was eating happily, and quietly. 

Scully finished her piece quickly and licked her lips. "That was delicious. It definitely tasted like more." 

Mulder noticed that Bill was still alert to every movement he made, so he chose his next one carefully. He caught up a piece of cake on his fork and held it up as an offering.

"Here, sweetie," he said, slightly emphasizing the second word slightly. He pushed the fork forward to meet her lips.

Scully was a little surprised, but opened her mouth to accept the extra bite of delicious cake that she was receiving. It was funny to be fed like that, and maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed like the piece tasted better.

Neither one of them missed the angry glance and bad vibes floating down the table from Bill. 

After dinner and dishes were settled, the entire Scully family made its way into the living room, where the undecorated tree stood ready in a corner. Laura brought Marissa, who had woken up, down to watch, while Tara took Elianna up to put her down for the night. 

Bill and Charlie strung the lights, corn balls, and beads around the tree while the rest of the family sang carols with the kids and held conversation. 

"Its all ready for you little munchkins to decorate," Charlie said, handing control over to his mom and her boxes of ornaments.

Patrick, Mattie, and Danielle managed to surround the lower part of the tree in ornaments, leaving the top half for the grown-ups to reach. 

"Dana, here are some of the special ornaments you used to hang as a kid. This one has your name on it...and this is from your first Christmas...oh, and here are the ones you made in grade school!" Mrs. Scully excitedly passed out ornaments from the box. 

Mulder snatched a colored ball that had his partner's picture on one side and squiggly painted on designs surrounding it. 

"Cute," he said, motioning to her picture.

"Dana was only six when she made that," Mrs. Scully said proudly. "She gave it to me as a Christmas present. You can hang it, if Dana doesn't mind...Oh! Let me get some ornaments for you!"

Bill made a face as she handed over several ornaments that his father used to hang up, and then protested at the last one.

"Mom, that one is a family heirloom, don't you think someone in the family should hang it?" 

Mrs. Scully gave her son a fierce look that told him to hold his tongue. 

"He has no right..." Bill shouted angrily. "That was one that dad used to hang on the highest branch he could reach, so none of us would break it...and then he'd lift Dana up to put the angel on."

"Well, Fox is tall enough, I'm sure he can put it up where it will be safe," was his mothers only reply.

Mulder was a little surprised. He'd been trying to cause a little bit of friction here and there for the entire day, but now without even meaning to he'd gotten Bill into a fury. He looked at Scully for help, but she just assured him with her eyes that he should hang the ornament and be done with it. 

With Bill still shooting him looks that could kill, Mulder walked up to the tree and hung the Scully family Christmas keepsake from the highest branch he could find. 

Charlie, Tara, and Laura finished hanging ornaments and then the angel was presented. Mrs. Scully handed it right to Dana, as usual. In the years following her father's death she had unceremoniously stood on a chair and plopped the angel on top of the tree.

Bill went to started to drag over an armchair, but before he could reach the tree, Mulder had whispered something to his partner. 

In one movement Mulder bent down and put his head between Scully's legs, supporting her on his shoulders. He lifted her up, holding on to her legs with his arms to steady her. Scully laughed as she grew in height toward the tree. Bill watched with disgust while the rest of the family joined in laughing. 

They were a sight to behold, looking like two kids ready for a 'chicken fight.' Scully held the angel in both hands, focusing on centering her weight so as not to fall off as Mulder walked toward the tree. Gently, she placed the angel on top and the Scully family cheered as her mother lit the tree for the first time.

Mulder walked to the couch, turned away from it and dropped his partner onto the soft cushions. With her still sprawled on the center cushion he turned and kneeled in front of her, holding both of her hands.

Scully looked at Mulder with confusion, but smiled at the warm look he returned to her. His hands enclosed hers and were pleasantly warm themselves. 

Mulder didn't know what he was doing, but just being close to his beautiful partner was intoxicating. 

"You're my angel," he whispered to her, chiding himself immediately for how corny it sounded.

Scully chose that moment to lean forward and kiss him gently on the lips. It wasn't much of a kiss, but enough to satisfy them. They smiled at one another and Mulder sat down beside her on the couch. 

Tara and Laura put the younger kids to bed while Charlie got Danielle and Patrick into their pajamas. Mrs. Scully set out a tray of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa. She also made hot chocolate for everyone, bringing it into the living room on a huge tray full of mugs. 

Mulder and Scully remained on the couch, and Bill sat down on a love seat with his wife. Charlie and Laura settled on a second, larger couch with their two kids nestled on either side of them, and Mrs. Scully took the arm chair. 

Mrs. Scully turned out the lights and put on A Christmas Carol, and the entire family watched. The kids fell asleep almost immediately, but the adults who had had naps faired okay.

Scully snuggled up to her warm partner, and soon found his arm draped lightly around her shoulders. Taking that as a further invite, she scooted closer to him and laid her head against his chest. She was comfortable, felt safe, and could smell the delicious smell that was Mulder. She was asleep when the movie ended, and if Bill hadn't woken her up, Mulder would have carried her upstairs to their bed. 

Scully thought about that as she roused herself fully awake to make her ascent. They would be sharing a bed for the first time. She knew that Bill was following behind, extremely pissed as he contemplated the very same thing. 

Scully smiled as she realized exactly what to do. She and Mulder would have to put on a little show for her big brother...


	6. A Night to Remember

Chapter 6

A/N: Hi everyone...don't eat me. I know that I made you all wait a very long time, but the next chapter after this will definitely be up Friday night/Saturday morning, and sadly, that will be the end of my fic! Its been a great run, and there is still one more chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews, they mean the world...I might break 100 with this fic. How cool is that?! Thanks always to my bestest beta ever...Jen, and to Kayla, who helped with these last two. The LGW rock!

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When Mulder and Scully reached their bedroom, Scully was no longer drowsy. She left the door open, since she'd need to go to into the bathroom to change, but closed it over so that no one could see her whispering to her partner.

Mulder was just happy to get upstairs and away from big-brother-Bill. As much fun as it was to torment him, and though Mulder knew that they had the upper hand, the glares of death were starting to get to him. It wasn't that he feared Bill at all; it was more or less that he was tired of being a constant point of attention. 

Scully walked over to him and smiled. He smiled back, wondering what she was up to. She put a finger to her lips to signal silence.

Whispering into his ear she said, "I'm pretty sure that he'll stake out our room for a little bit. He thinks we're together by now but has no way to gauge how serious we are. He'll probably listen to us before going to bed, thinking that we'll act more natural when we're away from my family."

Mulder listened to this, understanding now why she was whispering, but what did it matter if Bill listened to them snore?

"What we need to do is a little acting for him. I say we put on a heck of a performance involving us and the bed and a lack of clothes...how's that sound?"

Mulder didn't respond right away...he was too busy staring with wonderment and possibly drooling...

"Mulder....what do you think? Bill sees me come back in a my little bathrobe and we make some conversation to fit, roll around on the bed and call it a night?"

Dear God...she was serious...dreams apparently _do_ come true. Mulder gave his famous look of complete amusement. "I think...that that is an interesting idea. Definitely paranormal...probably unexplainable. We should definitely check into it."

Scully laughed. "I'm going to get a shower. I'll be back, okay, sweetie?"She said raising her voice and giving him a playful look as she left.

Mulder collapsed onto the bed, a very happy man. He wasn't sure how his partner was feeling by now, but he liked to think that they were on the same page as far as this charade went. He had fallen for her long ago, but let those feelings remain buried. They focused on their work and everything else and never got close to one another...but then, this Christmas Eve was happening. It was amazing. They'd made more progress in one day than in seven years; even if it was all supposed to be fake. There had to be real emotions in it, right? 

Meanwhile, in the shower, Scully let the warm water hit her back and run down her body. It felt great, and she was pretty amused by her own idea. It wasn't like they were actually going to do anything. Bill wouldn't be able to see them, just hear them...so she'd giggle and get quiet and then they'd roll around on the bed or something. She really didn't know how it would turn out, or if Bill would even stay true to form, but she suspected that her brother was more than a little concerned about the way she and Mulder had been acting during the day.

Scully turned off the water and dried herself off, putting on a silky, strappy, short, and otherwise sexy night gown. Slipping into her bathrobe, and examining herself in the mirror. Her hair, well protected from the water in an unattractive shower cap had curled a little from the heat and steam, that still filled the bathroom. Sliding into her slippers, she headed back to her room.

Bill was across the hall, supposedly waiting while Tara got the baby to sleep and busily examining one of the Scully family portraits that hung on the wall. 

"Were we ever this young, Dana?" He asked her, curious as to whether or not she'd answer him.

"Of course we were," she replied curtly. "Good night---"

She was about to open the door when it swung open from the inside. Mulder stood there, wearing dark sweat pants and no shirt. There was a genuine grin on his face at the sight of her and a complete look of surprise from her at his appearance.

"You ready for bed?" Mulder asked her menacingly, looping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him and halfway inside the room.

Scully giggled. "I don't know if I'm too tired...yet..." She mused, playing her flirtatious cards as well.

Mulder was surprised, but kept it up. "We'll have to do something about that then..." He watched Bill's eyebrows shoot up and his eyes blaze with anger. For dramatic effect Mulder added an overly sugary, "Good night, Bill!" as he pulled Scully into the room and closed the door. 

Scully was overcome with giggles even before the door was closed. When it was she looked at her partner, wondering if he was planning on releasing her from his grip. 

He smiled at her. "You ready to get rowdy?" 

"You have no idea..." She said, laughing as he swung her around away from the door and toward the bed. "I just wonder what you've got up your sleeve." She was asking seriously, having no idea what Mulder was going to say or do during this little acting game. 

"Oh, baby...what don't I have up my sleeve? I've been waiting for this allll day," he said, getting into his role easily. Hell, he'd been waiting for it seven years. 

They paused for a little, assuming that they'd be kissing at this point and finally Scully suggested aloud, "Why don't we move this party on to the bed."

"Good idea...Here, allow me." Mulder picked up his tiny partner and dropped her, gracelessly onto the bed. She made a small thump as she hit and bounced.

"Room for one more," she said, giggling.

Mulder leaped at the bed, landing beside her, face down and with a huge noise that probably woke up some of the kids downstairs and may have alerted her mother...

"Mulder!" She said, flirtatiously and giggling more.

"You want me to stop?" He asked, getting up and draping an arm around her for no particular reason.

Scully snuggled below his chin and breathed deeply. "Mmm...no. I don't ever want you to stop. This is great."

Mulder and Scully remained where they were, barely moving for a minute or two. Suddenly Mulder near shouted, "Wow, Scully...I wasn't expecting that," with a silly grin on his face.

She looked at him, completely surprised that he'd say something that drastic. "Well, what did you expect? THIS?!" As she emphasized the last word she pounced on him, literally, knocking him back on the bed. She was still beside him, but her upper body hovered over his, her hands resting playfully on his chest. Her hair hung lightly in front of her face, dangling above his.

"Jeez, Scully...you know how to get what you want..." He said, lounging back and staring into her beautiful eyes.

"Of course I do," She said softly. "I've already got you, and you're all I've ever wanted. In fact, I have you right _where_ I want you as well...." 

Mulder reached up and gently tucked her hair behind her ear. He stroked her face lightly with his hand, and held it there, frozen mid-gesture. 

"Should I keep going?" He asked her, not even thinking about what he meant by it.

"Definitely...we're not through yet!" She said, resuming her act and pull away from him.

She waited a few minutes and started jumping lightly on the bed. Mulder gaped at her, a little afraid but more amazed than anything. 

"This is going to be so much fun..." Scully panted, in between jumps. "I love doing this, but is it a little too wrong?"

"If it makes you happy, go for it," Mulder replied, still staring.

"Oh it makes me _very_ happy." She made a noise as she jumped one last time and landed flat on the bed beside him. "You make me happy," she said quietly.

"I love you so much," Mulder said, finally able to say those words to her. Even if she assumed he was acting, he meant them with all his heart. 

Scully seemed to realize that there was more in the phrase than a few empty words. Mulder gave them meaning when he said them. He really did love her then...

"I love you too. Thank you for giving me such a good time tonight," she said, snuggling up next to him.

Mulder wrapped his arms around her and they laid there quietly for a good fifteen minutes. They knew that Bill would have stayed for the entire thing if he'd been interested or angry at all. Scully had hoped that he would storm in, angry as a hornet and thinking he'd stop them, only to find them sitting next to each other, or better yet, to see her jumping on the bed. He didn't come in the room though. Maybe he wasn't even out there and that entire time was a waste. Whichever...it didn't matter. Right now she had Mulder's arms around her and his warm body pressed up against hers. 

Scully felt herself drifting off, and was almost completely asleep when she heard Mulder's voice calling her quietly. 

"Scully..." He whispered in her ear.

"Mm?" She mumbled, drowsily. 

"My guess would be that if he stayed for that he's gone now."

He? Oh...Bill. Scully woke up a little more and realized how close she was to Mulder. Instinctively she scooted away from him. 

"Oh....I'm sorry," she said, smiling and then yawning. 

"No problem..." he said, worried that she didn't want to be close to him anymore now that the game was over. "Um, do you want me to take the floor or something?"

"No," she said quickly. "I mean, the bed is plenty big enough for two. It'll be fine for us to share. The floor wouldn't be comfortable anyway."

Mulder listened to what she said and decided to take a chance. "Speaking of which...you seemed pretty cozy over here. You didn't have to shy away, you know."

Scully looked at him, wondering what he was saying. Was it an invite?

"You can come back, if you want to..."

Definitely an invite...

"You don't have to if you don't want to..." he began.

But she was already back in his arms, where she drifted quickly back to sleep.

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That's all for right now! One more chapter, and I promise its a fun one. This chapter was great to write, but the next one is even better. Hehe. Reviews are _always _welcome! Thanks!


	7. Let there be PeacePlease!

Chapter 7 

A/N: So...here we are. End of the line. It was a great ride for everyone, especially me. I loved writing this fic, and all of the reviews were amazing. Thanks to my betas, Jen and Kayla, and all of you guys for reading the random stuff that I decide is worthy of being posted. If it weren't for awesome people like you who read my stuff and boost my ego with how good it is, I wouldn't ever bother to write. Thanks for everything, and enjoy the last chapter!

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Soft morning light floated in through the room's two windows, throwing glistening golden rays onto the bed where Mulder and Scully lay sleeping.

Scully woke up first, blinking slowly and realizing that she was at her mother's house and in bed with Mulder.

She lay still for awhile, just listening to her partner's even breathing and watching his chest rise and fall. She could feel his warmth spreading through the sheets, insulating them from the cold air all around them.

Mulder lay facing her, his arm resting lightly around her waist. Her robe, which she'd forgotten to take off, had come undone in the night and fallen off as she tossed. Her silky night gown provided cover for her, but she still felt bare. Mulder's other hand rested with his fingertips touching one of her straps. Scully wondered if this was done by some unconscious desire during his slumber. 

Mulder moved suddenly, and the slight creaking of the bed broke the silence. He woke up and blinked at the beautiful redhead lying beside him.

"Good morning..." he said, groggily. Forcing himself to wake up further and throwing his patented smile her way, he added, "And Merry Christmas."

It was Christmas, wasn't it? Scully hadn't even thought about it. She'd been too engrossed in watching him sleep. She returned his warm smile. "Merry Christmas."

Mulder and Scully lay where they were, facing each other and touching each other ever so slightly. Scully could feel Mulder's hand move away from her waist. It was heading up to her face, where it stroked her cheek and remained there. 

Mulder's face came alive next, his dark eyes flashing as he stared deeply into Scully's crystal blue eyes. He drew nearer and nearer to her, drawing slowly toward her lips.

Before they met, however, the door burst open without so much as a knock. Bill entered and saw them together in bed. The covers were pulled up far enough to conceal their bodies, but he noticed right away how close they were. He saw his sister's bare shoulders...Mulder's bare chest...the look in their eyes was enough to tell the entire story. Bill drew his own conclusions. He'd heard most of the evidence the previous night, but had attempted to block it out. It was unavoidable after seeing this though.

"MERRY F---ING CHRISTMAS, now get your filthy hands away from my sister, you son-of-a-bitch!" Bill screamed at the top of his lungs. 

"Bill---" Scully began, equally pissed, but she was cut off.

"No, you listen to me, Dana. You have no business bringing this bastard into our home for our family holiday and then pulling this shit on CHRISTMAS, under our mother's roof." 

Obviously, her game had worked a little too well. This was absolute, inexplicable, maximum rage, and there was no stopping it. She waited for him to finish, but he turned on Mulder.

"You! You f---ing sonofabitch!"

"I think you used that one already," Mulder said dryly. 

"Shut the f--- up and listen," Bill shouted. "You know how we feel about you, and yet you kept reeling her in, didn't you? USING her to get your lonely holiday kicks, and I guess you got exactly what you wanted, you stupid asshole. You love my sister? BULL SHIT. You don't love her at all. You're just a lonely, using, self-serving bastard. Just get the hell out of our house!" 

Scully barely saw or realized what was happening, but she could do nothing about it. Mulder had simply sat up in bed and punched Bill directly in the face. 

Blood poured out of her brother's nose, trickling down onto his t-shirt that he'd slept in. Mulder sat there, a little surprised himself that he'd actually done it. 

"You bastard..." Bill said lowly. "You stupid bastard." As he repeated it he went for Mulder's face, but was blocked. The two started fighting worse than when Bill and Charlie were kids and went at it. They rolled around on the floor, hitting each other mercilessly.

Scully was horrified and could do nothing but shout at the top of her lungs for her mother and sister-in-law. 

Mrs. Scully, Tara, and Charlie all arrived at the same time, hearing the noise of Mulder and Bill fighting along with them knocking over a small table and Scully's shouting.

"Oh my God!" Exclaimed Mrs. Scully upon entering. "William Robert Scully! Stop it this instant! Fox! Stop! Both of you, have you forgotten that this is Christmas morning?! What on earth got into you?"

The two men stopped wailing on one another long enough to hear her and separate. Bill left the room angrily, and Mulder stood there, having absolutely nothing to say to the shocked Scully family. 

Tara had run after her husband to check on his bruises and the blood, and Charlie gave a look of disgust before leaving the room as well. Mrs. Scully turned sharply to Mulder and Scully.

"Now, you two, this is Christmas Day. It is a holy occasion as well as a family occasion. Your nieces and nephews expect both of you to be downstairs to watch them open gifts, and they expect that you start acting like the adults that you are. I don't expect any less. You have ten minutes to get cleaned up and cooled down."

After saying this, Mrs. Scully left. 

Mulder looked at Scully, not knowing how to explain himself. She was also at a complete loss for words. She was upset, angry even, and not just at Bill. Mulder had thrown the first punch. They were both the same; bold, stubborn, and proud. 

Throwing up her hands in disgust, she spat, "Well, what do you expect me to say?" It was rhetorical, really, because she said it on her way out of the room. She was going to the bathroom to get a washcloth to clean her bloodied partner off, but he didn't know that. 

Mulder watched Scully leave and his heart broke in half. He had really upset her, and without even meaning to. It wasn't as though he expected her to congratulate him for hitting Bill. He didn't even know what drove him to punch. It was just all of the things he was saying they were so...untrue.

Scully walked into the bathroom and found her brother there. He had shut out his wife and was mopping his own forehead with a cloth. He glared at his little sister when she came in.

"You'd better damn well do something about that psycho you brought in here, or next time he'll get more than a bloody nose and a bruise on his pretty-boy face," Bill said icily.

Scully just looked at him, finally getting to say what she wanted to. 

"You stupid ass-hole. You really don't have any idea, do you? What the hell was that back there anyway? You're the one who burst into our room, unannounced, and started screaming like a lunatic. You expect me to feel sorry for you?"

"I'm sorry if I was just sticking up for you after that bastard defiled you and tried to brag about it to the whole family."

"He didn't 'defile' me! What in God's name are you even talking about?" In her anger Scully had completely forgotten the night before.

"Last night. I heard you two last night...it was enough to make me sick," Bill answered with disdain.

Scully sighed, wetting a rag and preparing to leave. "Well congratulations on your magnificent and FALSE assumption. We didn't have sex, you idiot. We're not even dating. This whole thing was just for pretend. Revenge on you for Thanksgiving. I figured it'd be fun for us, piss you off a little, and then it'd be lesson learned. But I was wrong. You're so pig-headed and stupid that you went and made this the worst holiday any of us have ever had. I thought Thanksgiving was terrible...well, you two just made it look like a Sunday picnic. Thanks, Bill. Merry Christmas to you too."

She turned and left the bathroom, heading back to the bedroom where Mulder was waiting.

He was sitting in a chair, looking really upset and a little sick. Like Bill, he was covered in blood from his nose, but he wasn't doing a thing about it. He just sat there sullenly, though he perked up a little when Scully returned. He'd worried over how angry she seemed...although she didn't look any happier at the moment.

Scully approached him with a heart of stone and began to gently rub the blood out of his clothes and off of his face. They were completely silent for a good five minutes, before she finally looked up into his eyes. She saw the pain that was there. Pain just from feeling sorry that he'd hurt her.

"Why?" Scully asked in a low whisper.

"What?" Mulder asked, barely hearing her.

"Why did you hit him? What could have possibly possessed you to punch my brother, on Christmas morning, and make him bleed like that?" Scully asked earnestly, looking at her partner.

Mulder paused, wincing because Scully brushed his nose with her hand. "I didn't know...at first, but I thought about it. You want to know what I found?" Of course she did...she'd asked, hadn't she? "Maybe this is stupid too. Its probably not the greatest reason in the world, but it was what he was saying."

Scully looked puzzled. "What was he saying? I completely forgot."

Mulder looked at her tenderly. "He said that I had defiled you, used you, and didn't love you...Now I can stand for a lot of things. I can keep my cool when someone calls me a liar or a bastard, or whatever else he said, but there is no way in hell that I don't love you with every ounce in my body, and hearing him say that...I don't know. I guess I just wanted to prove myself or something. I'm sorry, Scully."

Scully changed her look completely, unable to fully mad at him after a confession like that. She knew there had been something there.

"Mulder...I'm so glad to hear you say that." She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then it was a just cause?" He asked, smiling.

"No...you shouldn't have hit him. Just forget about that for a minute. I think you telling me that you love me is a little more important."

Mulder smiled and nodded, agreeing with that statement. He didn't want Scully to be mad about it, but if she was willing to forgive and forget, that was just fine with him.

"Yesterday was...well, it was better than I thought it would be. I mean, the pretend stuff was fun, but I kept feeling like there was more too it, like we were actually going through those emotions ourselves. It was so easy, and so comfortable. It was almost like we'd always been together, but I was afraid I was the only one feeling that way." Scully admitted to him.

"You weren't...I felt the same exact way...it felt so good, but I didn't think you were actually interested." Mulder laughed. "So, I wonder what does this mean for us? We just keep up the game, only its not a game?"

"I don't know if it ever was a game, now that I think about it..." Scully mused.

"It wasn't, really. All of the feelings and emotions that we 'invented' were easy to portray. I mean, hell, it was nothing to put my arm around you and pretend to be in love with you because I am in love with you." Mulder laughed, nervously as he said that aloud again. "We weren't acting some tough role....we were acting so naturally that we didn't even have to think about it."

Scully smiled, liking the idea. "So, do you want to go downstairs and get your Christmas presents?"

"I don't need any...I've already got you," he shot back, while standing up. He helped her, pulling her up by the hands.

"We don't need the corny lines now, Mulder. I only pray that they were part of the _fake _romance..."

"I've got a million more, don't you worry," he replied, grinning at her. He put his arms around her waist as he'd done the night before and drew her in to his chest, kissing her. It was their first "real" kiss...so natural that it took no effort at all. 

~FIN~


End file.
